


Princeling

by Greychance



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Post QoN, Short One Shot, just let me have this ok, literally so soft, married with a baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 07:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21352621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greychance/pseuds/Greychance
Summary: Set after the Queen of Nothing, a short one-shot of Jude waking up to a certain baby’s cries.
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar
Comments: 15
Kudos: 359





	Princeling

Jude Duarte awoke to a familiar soft whimper. The queen was slow to open her eyes, her lids weighed down by an acute and deeply-set exhaustion. Once she did, however, she was greeted by the unforgiving light of midday, which had managed to creep into the royal chambers through an overlooked part in the curtains. She turned away from the brutal reminder of the time towards the opposite side of the bed.

Jude had a tendency to remain in place while sleeping, only shifting slightly throughout the night. The same could not be said for her husband, who she found carelessly sprawled out next to her. Cardan lay with one arm draped across her waist, his legs hopelessly tangled with hers. His dark hair fell in soft curls over his face, disheveled by sleep. His mouth was parted slightly, his brow free of any worry.

_He looks like a boy like this_, she thinks.

The quiet cry sounds again, rousing Jude from her thoughts.

“Cardan,” she whispers. The King doesn’t respond, his only acknowledgement a slight flutter of his lashes.

“_Cardan_,” she says again, with a bit more force behind her words. This time, he groans softly before snaking an arm around her, pulling her close. He buries his face in her neck, murmuring something nonsensical.

Jude laughs softly. She gives him a moment before whispering “It’s your turn.” She feels the soft caress of a laugh against her skin.

“Are you commanding me, wife?” She can hear the smile in his words. “Of course not,” she purrs. There is another soft cry. “But someone else seems to be.”

Chuckling, Cardan reluctantly untangles himself from her. Jude burrows further under the blankets, before peering over the top of the sheets at her husband. Cardan pads over towards the corner of the room where the small crib resides.

“Decided to begin the day early, haven’t we?” Cardan said, smiling softly. He is answered with another small sniffle. “Now, none of that,” he said, hoisting the small baby from the crib before cradling him in the crook of his arm.

After six months, Jude is still struck each time she sees her son over just how much he resembles his father. The dark hair, the pale complexion, the pointed ears- those were all Cardan. But the young prince’s eyes, a warm golden-brown and entirely human, were wholly hers.

Watching them now, Jude feels a pang in her chest. The baby ceased crying the moment Cardan picked him up, and now her husband coaxes delighted giggles from the child, an easy smile on his face. The interaction is so natural, the love Cardan has for their son so apparent, Jude cannot help but smile upon recalling his initial concerns.

The pregnancy had been unexpected, to say the least. Not unwelcome, but certainly not something either had anticipated. Nevertheless, during those nine months, Jude had noted the subtle changes to Cardan. Not that he abandoned his old ways altogether- a sudden stop to reveals and the drinking would have been cause for concern. Rather, Cardan had learned the art of moderation. That, and mastered the practice of excessive worrying. In the weeks leading up to the birth, Cardan had rarely left her side. He had required updates on her state no less than twice a day, something she had found equal parts irritating and endearing. But all of the concerns Cardan had held over his untested abilities as a father had turned out to be baseless.

Cardan catches her gaze and grins at his wife, before turning his attention back to the infant cooing in his arms. He quirks a single mischievous eyebrow at the child. “You’ve even woken your mother, little beastie” he whispers, humor lacing his words. “That does not bode well for either of us.”

Cardan returns to their bed. Jude gently takes her son, who clings to the front of her nightgown with all the strength his little fist can muster. After several moments, the baby finally settles against his mother’s chest with a small sigh. Jude turns back to Cardan, whose now looking at the two of them with an soft smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“It seems the little prince has the right idea.” Cardan says. He climbs back under the covers, once again electing to wrap himself around Jude, his face tucked between her neck and shoulder. “Certainly I cannot fault him for choosing his current resting place over the crib.”

“Like father like son, indeed,” Jude deadpans. She feels the warm breath of a laugh against her skin.

Within minutes, both Cardan and the baby are asleep once more, the rise and fall of their chests perfectly synchronized.

She studies the two of them as they sleep, their faces nearly indistinguishable like this. It’s moments like this, when Jude is left to her own thoughts, that she is able to reflect. She looks at the king at her side. She recalls a time when he was merely a prince whose only true power lay in his capricious cruelty, when she was but a failed knight with far too much ambition and not nearly enough to lose.

It feels like a lifetime ago, when she and Cardan could hardly stand to be in the same room. Now they shared a name, a crown, a son.

Life was a very strange creature indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> Needed to write something soft before QoN ruins my life in two weeks:)
> 
> Actually loved doing the shorter one-shot though, if there’s any other short scenes you’d like me to write PLEASE lmk I’m literally desperate for prompts they’re so fun.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this one


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